Soldier Killed as Israel Completes Jenin Counter-Terror Sweep 

Latest Developments 

Israel wrapped up Operation Home and Garden — a large-scale incursion into Jenin to kill or capture Palestinian terrorists and root out their infrastructure — after 48 hours in the West Bank city. Sgt. David Yehuda Yitzhak, a 23-year-old enlisted member of Israel’s elite Egoz infantry brigade, was shot and killed as troops withdrew from Jenin overnight. The Israeli military said the fatality is under investigation due to the possibility that he died from friendly fire.  

Launched as part of Israel’s effort to degrade terrorist capabilities and Palestinian perceptions of Jenin as a sanctuary for gunmen, the operation involved hundreds of commandos, IED-clearing armored bulldozers, and drone strikes rare for the West Bank.  

Expert Analysis 

“The Palestinians are predictably trying to claim victory in Jenin, but the facts point to an Israeli action of startling military effectiveness. No non-combatants were killed in one of the most densely packed places on earth, and Israeli troops had total control of the streets for almost the entire time as Palestinian fighters and civilians alike fled or hid. Just weeks ago, Islamic Jihad and Hamas were ambushing Israeli personnel carriers with IEDs and triangulated gunfire. They are now on the back foot, their sense of immunity in Jenin shattered.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO 

“In the aftermath of this operation, some Palestinians have turned against the Palestinian Authority, banishing its delegates from a funeral for one of the Jenin fatalities. This is an indignity entirely of the PA’s making. Had it cracked down as required in Jenin and neighboring Nablus earlier, armed lawlessness would not have spiraled there to the point of necessitating Israeli intervention on such a scale.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Not a One-Off 

Of the dozen Palestinian combatants killed, Islamic Jihad claimed eight as members. Israeli forces also confiscated small arms and ammunition, exposed munitions workshops, and destroyed a command center that had allowed the terrorists to coordinate in the face of previous, more limited incursions. 

Signaling that the mission had short-term, tactical benefits, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Home and Garden as not a “one-off” and said Israeli forces could return to Jenin if required.  

Related Analysis 

“Mapping Terrorism in the West Bank,” by Joe Truzman 

“Iran Foments Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Jenin,” FDD Flash Brief 

“IDF Conducts Major Operation Against Terrorists in Jenin,” FDD Flash Brief